3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Evolved Packet Core (EPC) architectures include Mobility Management Entities (MMEs), Serving Gateways (SGWs), and Packet Data Network Gateways (PGWs) (referred to herein generally as EPC devices). EPC devices may be organized into collaborative pools or groups in order to accommodate the demands for service from User Equipment (UEs) within a service area. For instance, a group of MMEs may support a particular service area of a wireless network such that UEs within the service area may be supported by any MME within the MME group. UEs may also be supported in a similar manner by groups of SGWs and pools of PGWs.
On occasion, there may be a need to transfer a connection associated with a UE from one EPC device to another EPC device. For example, one MME may become more appropriate to service a particular UE (e.g., because of a change in the geographic location of the UE) than the MME currently serving the UE and one or more procedures may be performed in order to transfer the connection with the UE to the more appropriate MME. As another example, in response to an SGW being added to a group of SGWs (e.g., in order to keep up with the demand for service from UEs) the connections associated with some UEs being serviced by the SGW group may be offloaded to the newly added SGW. In yet another example, a UE being serviced by one PGW in a PGW group may be reassigned to another PGW within the group when it becomes more appropriate for the other PGW to service the UE, which may occur when the UE begins using bandwidth above a certain usage threshold.
Transferring a connection associated with a UE from one EPC device to another EPC device may involve a break in service where the connection between the UE and the wireless network is terminated and then reestablished in order for the UE to connect with the new EPC device.